US Opens New Factory in Texas to Keep Supporting Ukraine With Ammunition

Pentagon unveiled its new “Universal Artillery Projectile Lines” facility in Mesquite, Texas, on May 29, marking a significant step toward strengthening the production of 155mm artillery shells and modernizing domestic ammunition manufacturing capabilities.

The facility, operated by General Dynamics, is part of a broader US Army initiative to modernize its industrial base. Their goal is to achieve a production rate of 100,000 155mm artillery shells per month.

The plants in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, together produce about 36,000 shells per month. The new facility in Texas can deliver 30,000 units of product per month.

Designed for flexible production of various ammunition sizes with minimal reconfiguration, the facility will significantly contribute to achieving the Army’s modernization goals.

The US has supplied Ukraine with a staggering amount of ammunition—over three million 155mm artillery shells—since the war’s outbreak in February 2022, according to William LaPlante, the Pentagon’s top acquisition official in an interview with his Army counterpart, Douglas Bush.

“When government and industry work together and Congress gives us sufficient latitude, we can still do great things in this country really fast,” Mr. Bush added.

The Pentagon is further strengthening its ammunition production capabilities with two additional initiatives: construction of a new projectile plant in Camden, Arkansas, and the planned expansion of existing facilities. This includes opening a second shell production line at a military plant in Iowa and partially activating a plant in Parsons, Kansas.

The push to supply Ukraine with ammunition goes beyond the US. Some European countries are accelerating their own production, and US defense firms are collaborating with Ukraine to ramp up its domestic defense manufacturing capabilities.

German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall has unveiled plans to launch a new venture in Ukraine, focusing on the production of air defense systems.

Additionally, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced that Ukraine should anticipate the initial shipment of tens of thousands of 155-millimeter shells within the coming days.